Chapter V: Deus, Deus Meus, Quare Dereliquisti!

The Prime Minister was a man deeply interested in all philosophic thought, and especially in the Christian system of philosophy. He had written two most important books, weighty, brilliant contributions to the mass of thought by which his school laboured to make theism increasingly credible to the modern mind.

He had proved that science, ethics, and theology are all open to the same kind of metaphysical difficulties, and that, therefore, to reject theology in the name of science was impossible. It was fortunate that, at this juncture, such a one should be at the head of affairs.

The vast network of cables and telegraph wires, those tentacles which may be called the nerves of the world's brain, throbbed unceasingly after the tremendous announcement for which Ommaney had undertaken the responsibility.

A battalion of special correspondents from every European and American paper of importance followed hot upon Harold Spence's trail.

Nevertheless, for the first two or three days the world at large hardly realised the importance of what was happening. Nothing was certain. The whole statement depended upon two men. To the mass of people these two names--Hands, Schmöulder--conveyed no meaning whatever. Nine tenths of the population of England knew nothing of the work of archæologists in Palestine, had never even heard of the Exploring Society.

Had Consols fallen a point or two the effect would have been far greater, the fact would have made more stir.

The great dailies of equal standing with the _Wire_ were making every private preparation for a supply of news and a consensus of opinion. But all this activity went on behind the scenes, and nothing of it was yet allowed to transpire generally. The article in the _Wire_ was quoted from, but opinions upon it were printed with the greatest caution and reserve. Indeed, the general apathy of England at large was a source of extreme wonder to the unthinking, fearing minority.

The mass of the clergy, at any rate in public, affected to ignore, or did really honestly dismiss as impossible, the whole question. A few words of earnest exhortation and indignant denial were all they permitted themselves.

But beneath the surface, and among the real influencers of public opinion, great anxiety was felt.

The Patriarch of the Greek Church called a council of Bishops, and Dr. Procopides, an ephor of antiquities from Athens, was sent immediately to Palestine.

The following paragraph, in substance, appeared in the leader page of all the English papers. It was disseminated by the Press Association:

"We are in a position to state, that in order to allay the feeling
of uneasiness produced among the churches by a recent article in
the _Daily Wire_ making extraordinary statements as to a discovery
in Jerusalem, a conference was held yesterday at Lambeth. Their
Graces the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the Bishops of
Manchester, Gloucester, Durham, Lincoln, and London were present.
Other well-known Churchmen consisted of Sir Michael Manichoe, Lord
Robert Verulam, Canons Baragwaneth and Walke, the Dean of
Christchurch and the Master of Trinity Hall. The Prime Minister was
not present, but was represented by Mr. Alured King. Mr. Ommaney,
the editor of the _Daily Wire_, was included in the conference.
Although, from the names mentioned, it will be seen that the
conference is considered to be of great importance, nothing has
been allowed to transpire as to the result of its deliberations."

This paragraph appeared on the morning of the third day after the initial article. It began to attract great attention throughout the United Kingdom during the early part of the day.

The _Westminster Gazette_ in its third edition then published a further statement. The public learned:

"Professor Clermont-Ganneau, the Professor of Biblical Antiquities
at the French University of La Sorbonne, arrived in London
yesterday night. He drove straight to the house of Sir Robert
Llwellyn, the famous archæologist. Early this morning both
gentlemen drove to Downing Street, where they remained closeted
with the Prime Minister for an hour. While there, they were joined
by Dr. Grier, the learned Bishop of Leeds, and Dr. Carr, the Warden
of Wyckham College, Oxford. The four gentlemen were later driven to
Charing Cross Station in a brougham. On the platform from which the
Paris train starts they were met by Major-General Adams, the
Vice-President of the Palestine Exploring Society, and Sir Michael
Manichoe. The distinguished party entered a reserved saloon and
left, _en route_ for Paris, at mid-day. We are able to state on
undeniable authority that the party, which represents all that is
most authoritative in historical research and archæological
knowledge, are a committee from a recent conference at Lambeth, and
are proceeding to Jerusalem to investigate the alleged discovery in
the Holy City."

This was the prominent announcement, made on the afternoon of the third day, which began to quicken interest and excite the minds of people in England.

All that evening countless families discussed the information with curious unrest and foreboding. In all the towns the churches were exceptionally full at evensong. One fact was more discussed than any other, more particularly in London.

Although the six men who had left England so suddenly, almost furtively, were obviously on a mission of the highest importance, no reputable paper published more than the bare fact of their departure. Comment upon it, more detailed explanation of it, was sought in the columns of all the journals in vain.

The next morning was big with shadow and gloom. A shudder passed over the country. Certain telegrams appeared in all the papers which struck a chill of fear to the very heart of all who read them, Christian and indifferent alike.

It was as though a great and ominous bell had begun to toll over the world.

The faces of people in the streets were universally pale.

It was remarked that the noises of London, the traffic, the movement of crowds engaged upon their daily business, lost half their noise.

The shops were full of Christmas gifts, but no one seemed to enter them.

In addition to the telegrams a single leading article appeared in the _Daily Wire_, which burnt itself, as the extremest cold burns, into the brains of Englishmen.

"(1) TERRIBLE RIOTS IN JERUSALEM

"The French Consul-General and Staff, who were paying a ceremonial
visit to the Latin Patriarch, have been attacked by fanatical
Moslems, and only escaped from the fury of the crowd with great
difficulty, aided by the Turkish Guards. A vast concourse of
Armenian Christians, Russian pilgrims, and Aleppine Greeks
afterwards gathered round the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The
strange discovery said to have been made by the English excavator,
Mr. Hands, and the German Doctor Schmöulder, has aroused the mob to
furious protest against it. For nearly an hour fervent cries of
'_Hadda Kuber Saidna_,' 'This is the tomb of our Lord,' filled all
the air. The Mohammedans and lower-class Jews made a wild attack
upon the protesting Christians in the courtyard of the church. Many
hundreds are dead and dying.

"REUTER."

"LATER.--Strong drafts of Turkish troops have marched into
Jerusalem. By special order from the Sultan to the Governor of the
city, the 'New Tomb,' discovered by Mr. Hands and Doctor
Schmöulder, is guarded by a triple cordon of troops. The two
gentlemen are guests of the Governor. The concentration of troops
round the 'New Tomb' has left various portions of the city
unguarded. Naked Mohammedan fanatics, armed with swords, are
calling for a general massacre of Christians. The city is in a
state of utter anarchy. By the Jaffa gate and round the Mosque of
Omar the dervishes are preaching massacre."

"(2) SIR ROBERT LLWELLYN'S PARTY TO BE CONVEYED IN A WAR-SHIP

"MALTA.--Orders have been received here from the Admiralty that the
gunboat _Velox_ is to proceed at once to Alexandria, there to
await the coming of Sir Robert Llwellyn and the other members of
the English Commission by the Indian mail steamer from Brindisi.
The _Velox_ will then leave at once for Jaffa with the six
gentlemen. At Jaffa an escort of mounted Turkish troops will
accompany the party on the day's ride to Jerusalem."

"(3) BERLIN.--The German Emperor has convened the principal clergy
of the empire to meet him in conference at Potsdam. The conference
will sit with closed doors."

"(4) ROME.--A decree, or short letter, has just been issued from
the Vatican to all the 'Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops, Bishops
and other local ordinaries having peace and communion with the Holy
See.' The decree deals with the alleged discoveries in Jerusalem.
In it Catholics are forbidden to read newspaper accounts of the
proceedings in Palestine, nor may they discuss them with their
friends. The decree has had the effect of drawing great attention
to the affairs in the East, and has excited much adverse comment
among the secularist party, and in the _Voce della Populo_."

Quite suddenly, as if a curtain were withdrawn, the world began to realise the fact that something almost beyond imagination was taking place in the far-off Syrian town.

These detached and sinister messages which flashed along the cables, with their stories of princes and potentates alarmed and active, made the general silence, the lack of detail, more oppressive. The unknown, or dimly guessed at, rather, laid hold on men's minds like some mighty convulsion of nature, imminent, and presaged by fearful signs. Thus the _Daily Wire_:

"The story of the recent gathering of great Churchmen at Lambeth
has not yet been made public, but there can be little doubt in the
minds of those who watch events that it must eventually take a
place among the great historical occurrences of the world's
history. While the men and women of England were going to and fro
about their business, the ecclesiastical princes of this realm were
met together in doubt, astonishment, and fear, confronted with a
problem so tremendous that we find comment upon it presents almost
insuperable difficulties.

"We do not therefore propose to take the widest view of probable
contingencies and events, for that would be impossible within the
limits of a single article. It must be enough that with a sense of
the profoundest responsibility, and with the deep emotions which
must arise in the heart of every man who is confronted by a vast
and sudden overthrow of one of the binding forces of life, we
briefly recapitulate the events of the last few days, and attempt a
forecast of what we fear must lie before us here in England.

"Four days ago we published in these columns the first account of a
discovery made by Mr. Cyril Hands, M.A., and confirmed by Dr.
Herman Schmöulder, in the red earth _débris_ by the 'Tombs of the
Kings,' beyond the Damascus gate of Jerusalem. The news arrived at
this office through a private channel, in the form of a long and
detailed account written by Mr. Hands, the archæologist and agent
of the Palestine Exploring Society. Before publishing the statement
the editor was enabled to discuss the advisability of doing so with
the Prime Minister. A long series of telegrams passed between the
office of this paper, the Foreign Office, and the gentlemen at
Jerusalem during the day preceding our publication of the document.
Hour by hour new details and a mass of contributory evidence came
to hand. All these papers, together with photographs, drawings,
and measurements, were placed by us in the hands of the Archbishop
of Canterbury. A conference of the greatest living English scholars
was summoned. The result of that meeting has been that a committee
representing the finest intellect and the most unsullied integrity
is now on its way to Jerusalem. Upon the verdict of Sir Robert
Llwellyn and his fellow-members, together with the distinguished
foreign _savants_ M. Clermont-Ganneau and Dr. Procopides, the
Ephor-General of Antiquities in the Athens Museum, the Christian
world must wait with terrible anxiety, but with a certainty that
the highest human intelligence is concentrated on its deliberation.

"What that verdict will be, seems, it must be boldly said and
faced, almost a foregone conclusion. We feel that we should be
lacking in our duty to our readers were we to withhold from them
certain facts. Not unnaturally His Grace the Archbishop and many of
his advisers have wished the press to preserve a complete silence
as to the result of the conference, a silence which should continue
until the report of the International Committee of Investigation is
published. We have endeavoured to preserve a reticence for two
days, but at this juncture it becomes our duty to inform the people
of England what we know. And we do not take this step without
careful consideration.

"We have informed the Prime Minister of our intention, and may
state that, despite the opposition of the Church Party, Lord ----
is in sympathy with it.

"Briefly, then, Sir Robert Llwellyn, the acknowledged leader of
archæological research, has given it as his opinion that Mr.
Hands's discovery must be genuine. Sir Robert alone has had the
courage to speak out bravely, though he did so with manifest
emotion and reluctance. The other members of the conference have
refused to express an opinion, though of at least three from among
their number there can be little doubt that they concur with Sir
Robert's view.

"Private telegrams, which we have hitherto refrained from
publishing, show that the cultured people of Germany, from the
Emperor downwards, are persuaded that the story of Jesus of
Nazareth has at last been told. Many of the most eminent public men
of France agree with this view. These are statements borne out by
the evidence of our correspondents in foreign capitals who have
secured a series of interviews with those who represent public
opinion of the expert kind.

"The Roman Church, on the other hand, with that supreme isolation
and historic indifference to all that helps the cause of Progress
and Truth, has not only loftily declined to recognise the fact that
any discovery has been made at all, has not only absolutely
declined to be represented at Jerusalem, but has issued a
proclamation forbidding Roman Catholics to think of or discuss the
events which are shaking the fabric of Christendom.

"In saying as much as we have already said, in placing our
melancholy conviction on record in this way, we lay ourselves open
to the charge of prejudging the most important decision affecting
the welfare of mankind that any body of men have ever been called
upon to make. Not even the startling and overwhelming mass of
support we have received would have led us to do this were it not
our conviction that it is the wisest course to pursue in regard to
what we feel almost certain will happen in the future. It seems far
better to prepare the minds of Christian English men and women for
the terrible shock that they will have to endure by a more gradual
system of disclosure than would be possible were we to adopt the
suggestion of the bishops and keep silent.

"And now, in the concluding portion of this article, we must
briefly consider what the news that it has been our responsible and
painful duty to give first to the world will mean to England.

"We fear that the mental anguish of countless thousands must for a
time cloud the life of our country as it has never been clouded and
darkened before. The proof that the Divinity of the Greatest and
Wisest Teacher the world has ever known, or ever will know, is but
a symbolic fable, will for a time overwhelm the world. A great
upheaval of English society is beginning. Old and venerated
institutions will be swept away, minds fed upon the Christian
theory from youth, instinct with all its hereditary tradition, will
be for a while as men groping in the dark. But the light will come
after this great tempest, and it will be a broader, finer, more
steadfast light than before, because founded on, and springing
from, Eternal Truth. The mission of beneficent illusion is over.
Error will yet linger for a generation or two. That much is
certain. There will be more who will base their objections to the
New Revelation upon 'the unassailable and ultimate reality of
personal spiritual experience,' forgetting the psychological
influences of hereditary training, which have alone produced those
experiences. But, alas! the knell of the old and beautiful
superstitions is ringing. The Doom is begun. The Judge is set, who
shall stay it? Let us rather turn from the saddening spectacle of a
fallen creed and rejoice that the 'Infinite and eternal energy' men
and have called God--Jah-weh, =theos=--that mysterious law of
Progress evolution, is about to reveal man to himself more than ever
completely in its destruction of an imagined revelation."

During the afternoon preceding the publication of the above article, the three principal proprietors had met at the offices of the paper and had held a long conference with Mr. Ommaney, the editor.

It had been decided, as a matter of policy and in order to maintain the leading position already given to the paper by the first publication of Hands's dispatch, that a strong and definite line should be taken at once.

The other great journals were already showing signs of a cautious "trimming" policy, which would allow them to take up any necessary attitude events might dictate. They feared to be explicit, to speak out. So they would lose the greater glory.

Once more commercial and political influences were at work, as they had been two thousand years before. The little group of Jewish millionaires who sat in Ommaney's room had their prototypes in the times of Christ's Passion. Men of the modern world were once more enacting the awful drama of the Crucifixion.

Constantine Schuabe was among the group; his words had more weight than any others. The largest holding in the paper was his. The tentacles of this man were far-reaching and strong.

"For my part, gentlemen," Ommaney said, "I am entirely with Mr. Schuabe. I agree with him that we should at once take the boldest possible attitude. Sir Robert's opinion before he left was conclusive. We shall therefore publish a leader to-morrow taking up our standpoint. We will have it quite plain and simple. Strong and simple, but with no subtleties to puzzle and obscure the ordinary reader. It's no use to touch on history or metaphysics, or anything but pure simplicity."

"Then, Mr. Ommaney," Schuabe had said, "since we are exactly agreed on the best thing to do, and since these other gentlemen are prepared to leave the thing in our hands, if you will allow me I will write the leading article myself."